There are many things that try to steal our attention and focus away from God. One of the hardest battles to face as a Christian is the battle of the mind. I believe Satan can begin to infiltrate our minds if we do not have a defense system in place.

The more controlled your mind is, the easier it is to remain focused on God. Living in this world and trying to live for Christ at the same time is almost considered an oxymoron. The reality is that Christians live this oxymoron on a daily basis.

It is necessary to develop defenses to guard your mind on a daily basis.

God desires not for us to conform to the standards of the world, but to live serving Him and others. It is hard to live for God if your mind is filled with things that are not honoring to God.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

-Romans 12:2

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

-Romans 8:5

There is no doubt that God desires us to live lives that don’t confirm to the world, but it is so hard to do. I believe that many Christians experience defeat because they have not guarded their minds. We face a daily battle, not a weekly battle. As Christians, we can not take time off and announce that we are going on vacation and expect no attacks. We have to always be on guard and aware that our enemy seeks to destroy us.

For this reason, God is willing to be our defense…but in order to experience victory, you have to keep your mind guarded.

Guarding Your Mind and Developing a New Mindset

At this point, you might be asking…”How do I guard my mind?” Here are a few tips that I’ve found to be helpful:

Identify Your Weaknesses– Only you know what makes you struggle. These are the things that Satan will use to bring you down. You will usually not be attacked in the strong areas because these are the hardest to take down. Instead, you will be attacked in the weak areas of your life. It is important to make these weaker areas stronger.

Spend Time With God– The days I don’t spend time in prayer are usually my roughest days. It is crazy to think that you can live for God without spending any time with Him. God desires a relationship with you, but this relationship can’t grow if you don’t put any effort into it.

Listen to Christian Music– This is a touchy area for many. I personally, do not choose to listen to any music that is not Christian. If it does not promote the name of God or points people to Him, then I have no desire to listen to it. The majority of music today is filthy and perverted. Just look up the lyrics to some of the popular hits! The sad part is that many individuals do not even realize what they are listening to.

One interesting thing about the brain is that it is the control center for one’s body. A slight chemical change could throw off your entire body. Your brain is highly complex and organized. Without going into a mini neurology lesson, your brain does more than you think. The lyrics that enter your ears are processed by your brain. Whether you think you understand them or not, your brain certainly does. For this reason, it is extremely important to listen to things that cause you to grow more in your relationship with Christ, not the stuff that will bring you down.

Establish Accountability– It is hard to live the Christian life on your own. For this reason, it is always smart to establish accountability in your life.

What steps have you taken to guard your mind? Feel free to share your tips and stories in the comments!

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This post was originally a guest post that I wrote a few months ago.

Connecting with others on a deep level is a skill. Although some can do it more easily than others, it must be developed. Energy is important in connecting.

In one of John C. Maxwell’s books, he explains some tips involved in having others listen to you.

5 Things that Cause Someone to Listen

Relationships- Who you know

Insight-What you know

Success-What you have done

Ability-What you can do

Sacrifice-What you have lived

The five points mentioned above are really the five “pillars” of what causes someone to listen. Although they are all essential, I think that the most important of the five is sacrifice.

Great connectors must meet the other individual(s) on common ground. It is all about the other person. This obviously requires energy. John mentions that “It’s difficult to find common ground with others when the only person you are focused on is yourself.”

This post was originally a guest post that I wrote a few months ago.

Connecting with others on a deep level is a skill. Although some can do it more easily than others, it must be developed. Energy is important in connecting.

In one of John C. Maxwell’s books, he explains some tips involved in having others listen to you.

5 Things that Cause Someone to Listen

Relationships- Who you know

Insight-What you know

Success-What you have done

Ability-What you can do

Sacrifice-What you have lived

The five points mentioned above are really the five “pillars” of what causes someone to listen. Although they are all essential, I think that the most important of the five is sacrifice.

Great connectors must meet the other individual(s) on common ground. It is all about the other person. This obviously requires energy. John mentions that “It’s difficult to find common ground with others when the only person you are focused on is yourself.”

When I initially signed up to attend the medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I knew that God would use the experience to work in my life and in the lives of others around me. However, I did not expect the lessons I learned from so many people. Although traveling to a foreign country is exciting alone, the medical experience, spiritual influence and guidance, and lifelong connections I gained from the trip are what made it one of the best experiences of my life.

As I was boarding the plane to fly from Jacksonville, Florida to New York City to meet the team, I was excited, but I also thought about all the ways I was not prepared for the trip. I immediately began to think that my Spanish was not fluent enough to communicate effectively with the people in the clinics and that I was just a hopeful future physician. When I met the team members at the airport to board the plane for Santo Domingo, we all instantly connected. I felt as if I had known these people most of my life. I was reminded that God brings together His people and equips each person to accomplish His perfect mission.

When I initially signed up to attend the medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I knew that God would use the experience to work in my life and in the lives of others around me. However, I did not expect the lessons I learned from so many people. Although traveling to a foreign country is exciting alone, the medical experience, spiritual influence and guidance, and lifelong connections I gained from the trip are what made it one of the best experiences of my life.

As I was boarding the plane to fly from Jacksonville, Florida to New York City to meet the team, I was excited, but I also thought about all the ways I was not prepared for the trip. I immediately began to think that my Spanish was not fluent enough to communicate effectively with the people in the clinics and that I was just a hopeful future physician. When I met the team members at the airport to board the plane for Santo Domingo, we all instantly connected. I felt as if I had known these people most of my life. I was reminded that God brings together His people and equips each person to accomplish His perfect mission.

This is a re-post of a blog I wrote a few months ago. I thought that I would share it again.

A song that I’m sure most of us have heard called “White Flag” is a song by Chris Tomlin that focuses on the theme of surrender. It is really a great song, and it is applicable to every Christian’s life.

So often, we do things in our own strength…not God’s. Living the Christian life, you are either fully surrendered to God with every aspect of your life, or you are not. I can assume that most of us have been on both sides of the spectrum.

We often temporarily surrender to God, but then the…

temptation that leads to sin controls us

busyness of life steals our time with God

time we once devoted to spend with God now is replaced with something else

The list can go on. The point is that in order for complete surrender to happen, we must do the following:

This is a re-post of a blog I wrote a few months ago. I thought that I would share it again.

A song that I’m sure most of us have heard called “White Flag” is a song by Chris Tomlin that focuses on the theme of surrender. It is really a great song, and it is applicable to every Christian’s life.

So often, we do things in our own strength…not God’s. Living the Christian life, you are either fully surrendered to God with every aspect of your life, or you are not. I can assume that most of us have been on both sides of the spectrum.

We often temporarily surrender to God, but then the…

temptation that leads to sin controls us

busyness of life steals our time with God

time we once devoted to spend with God now is replaced with something else

The list can go on. The point is that in order for complete surrender to happen, we must do the following:

In my previous post, I discussed how our words and actions can make a difference in others. It is important for our actions to line up with what we say. If you missed reading this post, you can read it here!

As Christians, we should desire to make a positive impact on others around us. One of the reasons God has us on this earth is to show His love. By doing this, we can make an impact on others. In the post Making A Difference With Your Words and Actions, I stated that if you want to make an impact on others, you have to be authentic in your words and actions. In other words, what you say must line up with your life.

At the end of the post, I asked the question: “Do you find it hard to make a difference?” I received some great responses from several readers.

In my previous post, I discussed how our words and actions can make a difference in others. It is important for our actions to line up with what we say. If you missed reading this post, you can read it here!

As Christians, we should desire to make a positive impact on others around us. One of the reasons God has us on this earth is to show His love. By doing this, we can make an impact on others. In the post Making A Difference With Your Words and Actions, I stated that if you want to make an impact on others, you have to be authentic in your words and actions. In other words, what you say must line up with your life.

At the end of the post, I asked the question: “Do you find it hard to make a difference?” I received some great responses from several readers.